Abstract

In this work, Fermat’s principle is applied to derive a simple exact formula for refraction (reflection) in terms of the lengths of the incident and refracted rays. This formula is a nontrigonometric alternative to Snell’s law and is general for all optical surfaces. It is used to derive the paraxial optics equations in a more simple and direct way than that often used in the literature. It’s also applied to derive a new single, exact ray tracing formula for the nonparaxial refraction (reflection) at a single optical surface. The obtained formulas are used to develop a simple ray tracing procedure for meridional refraction through systems of spherical surfaces without the need to use any form of Snell’s law. Numerical examples are provided and discussed.

Cited By

OSA is able to provide readers links to articles that cite this paper by participating in CrossRef's Cited-By Linking service. CrossRef includes content from more than 3000 publishers and societies. In addition to listing OSA journal articles that cite this paper, citing articles from other participating publishers will also be listed.